Hernando students compete for gifted program

SPRING HILL — It wasn't quite American Idol, but officials at Explorer K-8 started testing students Tuesday to find out who's got talent.

And just like the reality show contestants audition for their chance to be the next star, parents and children huddled in the lobby at the new school for the chance to show they are gifted enough to attend the Quest Academy for Gifted Education, set to open at Explorer in August.

The screening process is meant to identify students who might qualify for the new center, which will consolidate the district's gifted education programs. If students meet certain criteria, they will be asked back for additional testing and could be placed in the gifted program.

The process, which continues through today, is simple. After giving some background information and taking hearing, vision and intelligence tests, students and their parents were told whether they made the first cut.

Either way, Barbara Hebert had to break the news. She admitted, though, it was not fun telling children they would not be considered for the program.

"It shouldn't be construed as bad news, necessarily," said Hebert, a program staffing specialist for the district's exceptional student education office.

But that did not change the way some students reacted to hearing that they were not gifted enough. "A lot of kids come in here with expectations placed on them by their parents," she said.

Becky Fengarinas of Weeki Wachee said she tried not to put too much pressure on her 8-year-old daughter, Casey Leach.

"I'm just seeing how things go," Fengarinas said shortly after Casey emerged from her testing room. The tests were easy, Casey said, at least easier than the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Of the 160 students expected to be screened during the two-day testing period, Explorer principal Dominick Ferello estimated between 60 and 85 will be accepted into the gifted program. About 215 students are already signed up for the program, Ferello said.

Pamela Dancey hopes her daughter, Kyara, 9, will be accepted. "She did very well on her FCATs," Dancey said of her daughter.

Kyara attended Pine Grove Elementary School last year, but redistricting moved the Danceys into the Westside Elementary School attendance zone. Dancey said she is not happy with Westside's state and federal rankings and wanted to explore her daughter's options.

So the two traveled to Explorer on Tuesday morning to get screened, where Kyara said she was nervous about the test. But besides being an above average student, Kyara took one extra step Tuesday to make sure she performed well during the screening, her mom said.

Comments on this article

by Teachersunited	Jul 22, 2008 5:04 PM
Diane it does not look like you care equally about the kids. Was it your idea to cut teachers? How about donating your salary for something worth while. How did you get promoted anyway?

by Teacher 1	Jul 22, 2008 5:02 PM
Diane, I bet you did meet with him!! So I guess you truly are another book smart moron who relies strictly on stats. The FCAT is based on research too. What good has that done?? My child will have a great year especially with you gone as an Assistant

by Tired	Jul 22, 2008 5:01 PM
Sounds like Cop is very informed to me. What happened at Deltona? Where are all the severe ESE students going now that they can't go to Deltona? Are they going to the gifted school? Come on Diane answer some questions! Mrs. research!!

by Teacher 1	Jul 22, 2008 4:56 PM
Diane, I bet you did meet with him!! So I guess you truly are another book smart moron who relies strictly on stats. The FCAT is based on research too. What good has that done?? My child will have a great year especially with you gone as an Assistant

by Diane	Jul 22, 2008 3:01 PM
Cop, An important part of my life is seeing that all students are seen of equal importance. I rely on research rather than the opinion of an uninformed public. I wish your child a great school year and met with my Super yesterday. Read and learn.

by cop	Jul 20, 2008 11:09 PM
Diane, seriously get a life. Go read some more of your research with the super. I would not send my gifted son there if my life depended on it. Not to mention there will be no deputy there to protect him from all of the "not so superior" students.

by foreigner	Jul 20, 2008 7:51 AM
Your so called GIFTED in America would be nothing but average in countries like China, India, and other countries. Get real, just because a kid likes to read a lot of books does not make it gifted. Has s/he written his/her first musical composition?

by Diane	Jul 19, 2008 7:13 AM
Please provide research showing the gifted think they are superior. This seems to be a myth that is not borne out in any research I have seen. These kids' IQ differs from the norm of 100 as much as students who are retarded.

by drmom	Jul 18, 2008 4:55 PM
Allison- vision & hearing screenings are standard protocol before any IQ test can be administered. This way, if the child does have a hearing or vision problem, the psy can select the most appropriate test for the child considering this evidence.

by Lisa	Jul 18, 2008 10:47 AM
One difficulty of these kids is that they are led to feel superior to others.It is extememly important to teach that all kids have gifts & its important to nurtue all the gifts. Some teachers use several learning styles and then challange...con..

by VeryConcernedMom	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
I am one of "those parents" who signed up for screening. My child's teacher recommended that she be tested, and I was told by HCSB that, because of this mass screening, teacher recommended testing would not be done until after school starts.

by Diane	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
Lisa, Your pleasant sounding idea is exactly awful for gifted kids. Google "HIgh Achievers in an Era of NCLB". Isolate our gifted and teach them as individuals. Accelerate and let them learn, not occupy desk space! Go Hernando!!!!!

by Diane	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
Shaking Head, OOPS! Google HIgh Achievers in an Era of NCLB and tell those refusing parents they made a terrible mistake. There is still time to save your child's mind. Don't fail them.

by Anne	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
To TO MOM of GIFTED, I agree with Steve about the minorities and ESOL should be held to same standard- either you make it or you don't. Do I want the doctor who got into medical school using a lower test standard doing my oepration? No Way

by parent2	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
Lej and Les,again Gifted children deserve an education appropriate for their needs. Statements like "We all turned out fine" shows no progress for the future on either end of the spectrum.It is not just about higher level of intelligence.

by Tami	Jul 17, 2008 4:40 PM
Pinellas has a school for gifted and IT IS NEEDED. These children think differently, and our schools need to challenge them. 30% of HS dropouts are gifted. These schools are pitiful, they allow a child with a C in middle school to be honor roll!!

by high school teacher	Jul 17, 2008 4:39 PM
I am so sick of all of these magnets and K8s. When can I get less that 170 students?!!! BUILD THE NEW HS and spend your money on staffing it, please!

by Diane	Jul 17, 2008 8:10 AM
Cop, Your guesses about me are wrong on all counts. I believe ALL children should be equally important. That has not been the case for gifted kids. You haven't read as suggested so you wouldn't know. I hope you child has a great school year.

by lisa	Jul 17, 2008 8:08 AM
I think the standards should be raised for giftness, so that those over eager parents and teachers kids don't nudge in. The truly, truly, gifted are our gifts for our future. These very special and rare people should be given the resourses.

by Lisa	Jul 17, 2008 8:08 AM
Multiple IQs working together as a team to learn is best. To put a bunch of gifted kids in one room, does not help them. Who's the leader? Sparks will fly! The best teachers can challange a wide range, and this is a beautiful thing for society.

by My Spin	Jul 17, 2008 8:07 AM
Gifted is when you have composed your first opera by six years of age or able to count six decks at the blackjack table.

by abcdefg...	Jul 17, 2008 8:06 AM
If you all must know this test was for the children who's PARENTS thought they were girted, most just wanted to be in the NEW school, some didnt even come close to qualifying, why is that so many people have comments when they have no idea..getalife!

by To Jean	Jul 17, 2008 8:02 AM
How come you get to say so much in your blog...the rest of us get cut off??

by Shaking head	Jul 17, 2008 7:50 AM
Hmmm, this was done because enrollment was low. Have you asked yourself why that is? Why is it that so many parents of gifted children though it was better to keep their children where they are? Guess it isn't as bad as some would let you believe.

by leslie	Jul 17, 2008 7:50 AM
parent2 OMG! Please read up on all of the children with special needs that needed to be staffed ESE that have not been serviced yet. The fact is it took away from special needs children in a big way! The numbers far outway the # of gifted.

by lejero	Jul 16, 2008 9:29 PM
par 2, this is NOT about special needs, its about higher level of intelligence. Look, a majority of us grew up in public schools in the 60's and 70's where we learned the 3 R's. We turned out fine. Magnet Schools are NOT needed.

by Parent2	Jul 16, 2008 8:04 PM
OMG!Why do you people think because a child is smart they can just fend for themselves. Read up on Giftedness please!!! No one wants to take away from special needs children.

by teacher/mom	Jul 16, 2008 7:47 PM
Who paid for the staff to administer the hearing/vision and the screenings???? Did we save enough money on raising the temperature in the buildings to pay them?

by Allison	Jul 16, 2008 7:25 PM
Vision and hearing screenings to determine if your child is gifted? That's BUNK!! I'd hate to think thta my nearsightedness starting at age 6 could have prevented me from being in the gifted program, had I been a child in today's schools...

by me	Jul 16, 2008 7:14 PM
these "so called" gifted programs are about nothing more than putting dollars back into schools that test higher than others. if our children are "gifted" their gift will make room for them no matter what school they attend. shame on us as parents

by cop	Jul 16, 2008 7:12 PM
Hey Diane, how about focusing on the children who are falling through the cracks with disabilities and not the gifted? Diane you are obviously one of the lucky that got promoted by the super and not cut. No Child Left Behind? Obviously a MENSA member

by Diane	Jul 16, 2008 3:37 PM
Cop, Your post would be more meaningful if it would be backed by information. Read A Nation Deceived, the OPPAGA Report on gifted ed in Florida, and the study High Achievers in an Era of NCLB. Then we can discuss.

by momof3	Jul 16, 2008 12:52 PM
What about the children that are struggling with school. My child is being held back this year due to difficulty learning, I have spent an entire year waiting for him to be tested but they can test all these kids this quickly.

by teacher	Jul 16, 2008 12:52 PM
How much damage to this district has to be done before we send this man packing. Cutting the security force, cutting teachers, cutting services, lowest moral anyone has ever seen, fear and intimidation is how he is running things. Call the board pls

by cop	Jul 16, 2008 12:52 PM
Alexander, Ferello, and ESE did not do this out of care or concern for your child but for the $2,100 they make on each child they identify. Diane- In an era of NCLB how about focusing on all of the ESE children who are not gifted?When is that screen?